Witnesses describe blood-soaked crime scene in Twinsburg murder

Thursday

Mar 27, 2014 at 4:33 PM

by Conner Howard | Reporter

Akron -- The harrowing moments inside the master bedroom of a Twinsburg home just after 7 a.m. Feb. 24, 2013, that resulted in the murder of 46-year-old Tami Mitchell Wong have taken shape over three days of testimony, as the murder trial of Glenn Wong moved into its third day March 27 at Summit County Court of Common Pleas.

For the most up to date news on the trial, visit www.twinsburgbulletin.com.

Glenn Wong, 51, formerly of Abrams Drive in Twinsburg, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of aggravated murder, one count of kidnapping, one count of murder, one count of felonious assault and one count of domestic violence in connection with the stabbing death of his wife of 11 years.

The case is not eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors have said.

The defense is not disputing that Glenn Wong caused Tami Mitchell Wong's death -- only that the crime was not premeditated. The prosecution contends that Glenn Wong's family life began to spiral downhill in the months before the murder, steeped in suspicion and jealousy.

Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Angela Walls-Alexander said March 25 that prior to Tami Mitchell Wong's death, the Wong family was, by most accounts, normal and well-adjusted.

Behind the scenes, however, there was a growing sense of jealousy and mistrust.

"Somehow, that family started to unravel," Walls-Alexander told the jury during her opening argument. "It is crucial that you understand what was going on that led up to this. Mr. Wong was very controlling. There comes a point in their relationship where that makes her very unhappy. In the months that precede her death, you're going to hear that he becomes more suspicious."

"I don't think the state will be able to prove to you that this was a premeditated event," defense attorney Brian Pierce said March 25 in Judge Paul Gallagher's court. "This was impulsive, spur of the moment and frankly, not very rational."

Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Dan Winterich on March 27 described a blood-soaked crime scene in which Tami Mitchell Wong suffered 103 knife wounds from two steak knives allegedly taken from a knife stand in the kitchen, about 39 feet from the master bedroom.

Photos from the scene showed blood stains on the bed and the floor, and one knife was found next to the night stand and another on the bed, Winterich said. There were blood stains on the bathroom walls, and clumps of hair were found on the bed and in the toilet, he added.

Jurors also have heard testimony from the Wong children, a son, 9, and a daughter, 11, who were 8 and 10 and in the home at the time of the stabbing.

"He came out and walked into the kitchen," the daughter testified from closed circuit television March 25. "[He went] into the bedroom. [I heard] my mom screaming 'call 911'. I went to go to my parents bedroom to get the cordless phone on a night stand. He was on top of my mom and it was weird."

Twinsburg officers also testified March 25 that Glenn Wong was still on top of his wife in the bedroom when they arrived, and that both were "covered in blood." One officer was able to speak with Tami as he was applying pressure to her wounds with a towel, and said she told him her husband began stabbing her while she was still sleeping.

Prosecutors called friends and co-workers of both the victim and defendant March 26, attempting to demonstrate further that Glenn Wong had become "controlling and possessive" toward his wife through "frequent" calls to Tami's Wadsworth office and a Valentine's Day visit from Glenn Wong in 2013, allegedly suspicious of candy that his wife had received at the office.

One of Mitchell Wong's friends testified that she had never seen the couple exhibit any signs of domestic violence or marital issues.

Ernest Gaugler, engineering manager of Will-Burt Co., based in Orville, and Glenn Wong's direct supervisor, said Wong, an engineer by trade, was a well-respected and well-liked employee, though his work began to suffer in the months before Feb. 24, 2013.

"We noticed some erratic behavior Glenn was starting to make some mistakes," Gaugler said.